


Paradise Within, Paradise Without

by Tate_mae



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Comfort/Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Historical Fantasy, Historical References, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Multi, Mythology - Freeform, Mythology References, Original Mythology, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Romance, Romantic Angst, Romantic Friendship, Romantic Gestures, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-05-16 11:25:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19317214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tate_mae/pseuds/Tate_mae
Summary: This place is a dream.A fragment of a scintillating past swayed by reality.This place is a fantasy.A little paradise bathes in eternal light and deep calm.This place is an empty space.A palace where eternity pays homage to ephemeralities.





	1. Reverie

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and forgive me for the long absence.
> 
> This is my new story, and as I promised, a fantasy-historical fan-fiction which features Tate_mae's interpretation of VIXX's "Do Won Kyung - Shangri-La" based on Tao Yuan Ming's "Peach Blossom Spring", James Hilton's "Lost Horizon", and other related myths. 
> 
> The fantasy elements of the characters are credited to the concept photos, teasers, and lyrcs of "Do Won Kyung" and other related tales. No copyright infringement intended for I own nothing but the plot.

**Chapter I | Reverie**

_Flowers bloom gloriously, even the wind is sweet_ _―_ _this place is a dream_

* * *

 

 Nobody’s calling her name. She is certain, and she is grateful. She wants to be alone, breathing some fresh air, hoping that her heart can be mended, that she can finally move on and make peace with her demon and her disappointment. The sun is hanging low at the sky, orange lights illuminating purplish line which separates the sky and the ocean. Waves are crashing against the sharp rocks, her breathing becomes one with salty air, her sunken eyes fiery as they reflect the golden sun. She walks further, drinking in all the details, the rocks, the glittering path created by sunlight upon the water, everything but the slippery moss and fragile grounds under her feet.

She’s falling, deeply and slowly, into the rolling tides underneath, and for a split second the thought of being witnessed by somebody lingers at the back of her head. Her mouth ajar, her tongue tasting salt, each breath she takes stuck inside her throats, her voice comes out as bubbles. The water engulfs her body like invisible hand, a mother’s touch, a welcome from nature. Death crosses before her mind, but none of her memories appear. Her vision darkens, and she tries to recall a prayer, a verse, a mantra, a hymn probably, or even a sutra; anything that can prevent her from falling into abyss. Hell sounds like a better idea, if anything, since she doesn’t want to be associated with nothingness. The sea grows warmer, with faint breeze grazes over her skin, and she dares herself to release her breath.

Amber light illuminates her surrounding, saving her from the needs to squint her eyes. She blinks, all dazzled and breathless when she sees the moon glides between the ceiling and open night sky replaces the concrete walls. Stars are floating right above her, tracing a delicate stairs straight to the Milky Way, all majestic and imposing between soft shades of lilac and midnight blue. Another deep breath and she whimpers upon smelling honey, flowers, and mint. She carefully moves her fingers, her legs, and she has to look twice to be sure of the flower petals that fly around the air and at how the shallow waterbed ripples beneath her figure.

“You’ve gained consciousness...”

The purplish galaxy and twinkling stars are replaced by haunting red. The moon floats even lower than before, the color bleeds between gray and black. A daunting presence sits at the center of the space, his shadow looks even more imposing beneath the red moon. She blinks, and at last, she finds light. The whole room has a muted shade of royal blue; beside the moon is a large vermillion rock with golden surface and atop of it, sits a man with feline eyes and snowy skin, looking as regal as a king on his throne.

“How do you feel?” his voice airy and soft like a nightingale, his appearance exudes power and invincibility, yet he looks so relaxed and tacit between the flows of his sapphire blue robe.

“Where is this place...?” she croaks once she sits upright. Her body feels lighter and nimbler than before, her senses sharper, and she feels sensitized and dizzy, as if she can become drunk just by breathing. “Was I hallucinating?”

“No... you are completely sane... this room was simply responding to your thoughts.” he rises and glides to where she is sitting at. Flower petals scattering everywhere, small spirals forming between his pale feet, and when he kneels down beside her, he smells of hibiscus and morning dew; oozing protection and charm that surely doesn’t belong to ordinary man.

“Those were my thoughts...?” she presses both sides of her head with her hands as she dazedly stares at his dark eyes. “What happened to me?”

 “I’m Taek-woon... one of the guardian deities...” he calmly introduces himself, to which she responds with a brief mention of her own name and flustered look. He’s courteous and distant, but she looks terrified and tense, the dark circles under her eyes make her lids droopy, her smooth skin lacks radiance and spirit... if anything, he’s thankful that she has no intention to commit suicide back then when she was falling. “You were drowning... you were caught inside the mists and being brought here, to _Do-won-kyung_...”

“How can I breath underwater?” she says, her voice comes out as a stutter. “I can still go back, can’t I?”

“ _Do-wo-kyung_ exists in a whole different realm and I can’t guarantee anything yet... but we will try to think of something so you can go back to the surface...” Taek-woon avoids her gaze, her insecurities and fear keeps gnawing at him. The water stirs under them when he awkwardly shifts and offers her his hand. “Can you stand up?”

“I can try.” She carefully holds his hand and folds her knees before pulling her body upwards. His lips twitch as he strengthens his grip around her, anticipating the sharp dizziness that spreads from her nape to her head, which causes her to tumble and fall into his arms.

“I’m sorry.” She quickly pulls away, though her fingers remain clutched around his wrist. The room suddenly turns into crimson, the moon blackens and meteors crashing on the sky above them. Stars become fire, galaxy explodes into ashes, leaving only dust and black rocks on burning ground as the moon starts to spin around. She closes her eyes, her hand shaking against the cold silk of his sleeve.

“Why are you so stubborn...?”

Someone pipes in, his tone gentle but biting enough to make the water deity flinch. The owner of the voice quickly marches to her direction, his feet slowly meet ways with the water, tanned skin soft and glowing against lustrous black organza. Something soft and ticklish swims around her legs and she involuntarily smiles upon seeing that the water has turned into a lotus pond and the night sky glows with specks of red and pink.

“I told you to call me right after she wakes up, but there you are asking her to stand up and walk on her own.”

“I simply attest her willpower... and I don’t want to leave her alone when she’s not calm enough...” Taek-woon dryly says. “Look around you, her emotion changes every five minutes, only God knows what kind of chaos it will be if she meets all of us at the same time.”

“But healing takes time and you should have known better that she won’t be able to receive your treatment when she’s like this...” he says matter-of-factly before he lets his eyes roam around the limitless sky, the now empty pond, and her tattered clothes.

“My name is Ha-kyeon... you must have been very surprised haven’t you...?”

The older deity smiles at her, and the lotuses immediately return. Honeysuckles swim along the dark stream and spread their citrusy, pungent smell to the air.

“You surely are whimsical... I wonder how you’ll be once you’re completely healed... but for now, allow me to take care of you...” he says with fond eyes before shifting his gaze to the other deity who’s watching their interaction with indifferent look. “Come with us?”

Taek-woon shakes his head and solemnly watches as she awkwardly retracts her hand from his wrist. He rules over the moon and water, both are the secret listener and silent witness of the universe, but he doesn’t have the ability to show his feelings. He relieves tension, but he’s too cautious, too aloof, and often insensitive. Her doubts, fear, and isolation scream at his skin and it doesn’t take any explanation for him to understand that she’s extremely wary and intimidated by his presence.

“No. I will join at supper.”

Once Ha-kyeon and the young lady are gone, Taek-woon plops down on the water and scoops the water in his hand, the liquid streams along his lithe fingers, flower petals stick to his skin before dissolving into reddish dust as his room slowly returns to its normal state. He lifts a finger and makes a circle in the air, and soon, small particles emerge from the spot she slept at few hours ago. Tiny shards gleam and assemble inside his palm as they manifest into several broken pieces. He releases a sigh, he’s relieved that the blue topaz responded to her condition, and dismayed with the fact that her condition caused the gemstone to crack.  
  


∞∞∞  
  


The dreaminess of Taek-woon’s lair is soon replaced by floating mist and mossy ground which belong to Ha-kyeon’s pavilion. The round ceiling is covered with rainbow stained glass, sunlight filters in through the large hole in the middle of the dome, casting a soft glow to the silvery pool and lush forest underneath. The spring shimmers and glistens, half of the water is bubbly and warm, half is tranquil and cold. On the stones that surround it sits a tray of pure salt, pearl powder, seaweed gel, and eucalyptus oil, with several layers of robe made of embroidered silk and lux satin.

“Take your time and don’t worry too much,” Ha-kyeon says. “I will know when you’re finished...”

“Thank you...” she turns around, but the deity has disappeared.

One by one, she reluctantly peels the clothes off her body; a shirt which has lost halves of its sleeves, a ripped trouser, and unsightly undergarments. She dips her toes into the water, still distrustful to the magnificence before her eyes, as the soothing steam rises and engulfs her tired limbs. The wind still tastes as sweet, with exotic scent of cocoa and grape and peach tart. Each grain of salt feels like cashmere, the seaweed dissolves into her hair, and the pearl powder seeps into her body like second skin. A small sigh escapes her lips, sense of gratitude floods her heart, making it swell with pride and newly-gained confidence, things which she thought she had lost forever.

But as fast as the positivity comes, the pessimism also comes knocking at her sanity. Everything feels too good and it’s possible that she’s simply dreaming at current moment. She wonders about her home, the world faraway on the surface, the place which Taek-woon described as the other realm, the piles of assignment and duties she has to take care of; issues that make her feel like running away, to explode and soar, and vent her anger without blaming nor hurting other people. Then she thinks of Taek-woon, of how embarrassed and afraid she was when she first met him. Unlike Ha-kyeon’s doting persona, Taek-woon’s silence and reserve made her feel so repressed and nervous; although she understands the water deity has no ill intention behind his tacitness.

Amidst her thoughts, she rises from the water and steps out to the warm mist. The sun caresses her neck, her bosom, down to her stomach, and her feet. She quickly puts her new clothes on; the black inner robe clings to her figure and provides a subtle balance to the red dress-coat made of satin with transparent silk lining. Small flowers emerge from the ground she has stepped on, wind tickles her nose and her lips as bamboo leaves rustle in the background. Woods cracking beneath the thick shrubs, followed with quick and short strides which surely doesn’t belong to human.

She clutches her robe tight around her body and slowly turns around. Her eyes widening, her breathing hitches at the back of her throat. She has hoped for the worst, but instead of an intimidating magical being or a giant, she is greeted with a spread of colorful feathers in seven colors of rainbow. The peacock stands still, as if in trance, before it slowly folds its feathers and twirls around, revealing a lone track in the nuance of four seasons.

She follows the peacock by instinct, and soon, she's marveling at the lines of cherry blossoms, cypress trees, gingko, sycamores, and maples. Trees are evergreen with flying butterflies and budding blossoms, but the long pathway smells like lavender field. Then there is summer. It’s zestful and humid, as the leaves turn yellow, its branches sandy brown; and cicadas buzzing between the shrubberies. Autumn appears sooner than she first expected; with red maple leafs and dry branches covering the ground. She finds winter, where snowflakes float and trees are nothing but dark, naked limbs. The peacock keeps strutting, its pace unbothered, and she braces herself for what awaits her at the end of the road.


	2. Allure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This place is a dream.  
> A fragment of a scintillating past swayed by reality.  
> This place is a fantasy.  
> A little paradise bathes in eternal light and deep calm.  
> This place is an empty space.  
> A palace where eternity pays homage to ephemeralities.

**Chapter II | Allure**

_Wherever, if I’m with you, my heart sways in the painting_

* * *

 

  
An enormous room lays before her eyes as her steps slowly come to a halt. It resembles Taek-woon’s, but more vacant, with romantic gradation of pink and white and persistent smell of lavender. Instead of a vermillion stone or a spring, in the middle of the room stands a holed wall and a leafless tree where the peacock elegantly sits at. She approaches the wall, and releases an inaudible gasp when she sees a man reclining within the large circle.

“Aren’t you very clever today...?” he says, voice deep and velvety with a certain strictness in his way of speaking. “You usually flap your wings by the slightest sound, but not only acting so reserved this time, you also invite someone else in without telling me anything.” He abruptly shifts his eyes to her direction, his beautiful eyes forming crescents when he smiles. “Though I would probably do the same thing if I were you...”

“I’m sorry―”

“Yes, you ought to be sorry... but do you know why?” he straightens his legs and bring himself to a sitting position. Compared to Ha-kyeon and Taek-woon, his appearance looks brighter and more flamboyant. Flowers are lavishly strewn along his sheer black jacket, complementing his satin maroon top and his black trousers. He looks younger, but physique wise, he is taller and broader. “You see, it’s not nice to apologize without actually understanding the problem, or the reason―if you do that, the word will eventually lose its meaning.”

“I’m sorry... for coming here without permission...”

“Oh no, this fellow here invited you in, and that’s not your fault. It’s only natural to be entranced by his beauty, although sometimes his kind lures unwanted attention, specifically in where you live.” He says with long sigh, his eyes turn sad for a split second as he stares at the peacock, which remains in its courteous nonchalance. “Come closer, will you?”

The young lady obediently does as he says and stops when he’s at an arm distance. In such proximity, the soothing lavender scent consumes her even more, turning her lethargy into vitality, her anxiety into reassurance. He is whimsical, with angular eyes and tousled hair in color of melted toffee and golden wheat.

“I can’t think of anything aside that...”

“Of course you are... how silly of me...” he says in an overly-dramatic manner, the edge of his lips forming a coy smile. “You haven’t fully recovered yet, so I shouldn’t expect you to understand what you’ve done to me.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“You’ve caught me off guard. And to put it frank, falling never felt this good before.”

She immediately lowers her head in embarrassment. Her heart gallops, blood rushing to her cheeks. His tranquil imagery is blown away. “I don’t think that’s possible... to fall for someone you just met... and to say it out loud like that.”

“Ah, but here I am, falling in love at first sight with a human girl, even though I know that she won’t be here for long.” He casually asserts, sounding half serious and half joking. “Sometimes I wish it was the opposite you know, Mother Fate is cruel indeed... granting me the disposition, but not the power...”

“You mean, you have no special ability?”

“I control anxiety, renewing energy, and luck... but love at first sight...? I fall in love, and I feel compassionate for living creatures, even if it hurts me, without the power to induce reciprocation. May I?” He offers his hand, to which she slowly accepts with much hesitation before he swiftly pulls her up to sit beside him.

“Not a very compromising position don’t you think? But since we all share similiar situation, I musn’t complain.”

“But why...?”

 “I have no idea...”

The deity casually leans backward, his deep-set eyes linger at her momentarily before they shift to the beautiful bird beside her. “Do you want to touch him?”

“Will he allow me to?”

“He brought you to me, remember?” he moves closer and in a matter of second he has one arm around her as he guides her to pat the peacock. Instinctively, she slowly runs her finger through the blue arch along its back. The peacock’s body is stiff and distant, its feathers ticklish and soft she would have thought it was a drape of silk if she’s not seeing it with her own eyes at the moment.

“Don’t scratch him...” she profusely apologizes and pulls her hand away only to be stopped by the deity who gently leads her hand to the bird’s head. “Birds’ body is almost entirely erogenous... so be careful. His head is the safest part...”

“Where did you find him?” she clears her throat, cheeks flushing when the deity slowly retracts his hand.

‘Trying to change the topic, I see...” He says whilst flexing his arms before folding them behind his head.  “He was wounded by a stray bullet and left dying in the middle of forest. So I took him home and made him immortal...”

“You went to forest? But I fell into water... didn’t I?”

“We represent everything... anytime, anywhere we want. We’re not tied by places nor times nor any forces... We are connected to the earth, but when the earth is no longer as peaceful as it used to be, _Do-won-kyung_ was sealed.”

“... How long has it been since he came here?”

“...around a hundred years or so?”

She takes a sharp breath, her eyes flickered with mirth and disbelief, and the deity involuntarily grins as well. “It’s very unbelievable isn’t it?”

She shakes her head. “I still can’t believe that I found this place when I was clumsy enough to bring myself into an almost-dead situation.”

“I also can’t believe that you found this place when I’m almost convinced that there will be no human to ever grace this place after eight centuries ago.”

“Who was the first?”

“The first human was a fisherman who was stranded in a cave between the nooks of the cliff. Our predecessors took him as a guest, held a banquet and healed him before they sent him back home. My brothers passed down the story on my seventieth birthday two centuries ago.”

The deity closes his eyes and nuzzles his back at the hollow wall with his hands still casually propped behind his head. As the light changes, his caramel hair reflects the color of marigold. When he opens his eyes, his irises resemble obsidian and his smile can soothe even the maddest storm.

A flush creeps up her face as he winks at her and jumps off to the other side of the wall. He bows down, cranes his neck, and offers her hand to her. She reluctantly accepts and drags her body from the odd comfort of his chaise to the warm soil. In a blink of an eye, the vast emptiness transforms into lavender field.

“Are we going somewhere else…?” she says, her voice stuck in her throat and she feels like she is about to burst with happiness.

The deity gives her a brief glance, before he starts running and guides her through the sweet-smelling field into thin fogs in varying shades of purple. She laughs along, and his heart soar higher than the sky above them.

“It’s only natural for you to have your own banquet, isn’t it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like it so far?  
> I'm curious, what do you think about their power and ability?  
> Do you have any idea about Ken, Ravi, and Hong-bin's power?  
> Feel free to tell me your opinion at comment section below.


	3. Diaphanous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This place is a dream.  
> A fragment of a scintillating past swayed by reality.  
> This place is a fantasy.  
> A little paradise bathes in eternal light and deep calm.  
> This place is an empty space.  
> A palace where eternity pays homage to ephemeralities.

**Chapter III | Diaphanous**

_I’m drunk with you as I lean to the distant fragrance_

* * *

 

  
As the mist diminishes, a pair of tall marble pillars comes to sight. Screened by lovely draperies of white lilies, the common hall is an open space with waterfall at one side of the wall that forms a shallow stream which flows straight to the mirror-like salt flats and marching clouds at the opposite end. The dining table is made of white marble, with matching white chairs layered by damask and colorful flowers picked and arranged by Ha-kyeon; hibiscus, windflower, and apple wreath. The burning candles creating rainbows across the crystal tableware.

“Brother, forgive us for being too early.”  The deity playfully greets his brother as they approach the table, and Ha-kyeon’s watchful eyes immediately snap to their direction. The flower arrangement is left forgotten.

“Oh, Sang-hyuk! You and your disobedient pet. I told him to watch over her, but he showed himself instead and brought her elsewhere.”

“Geez, relax... don’t nag too much, will you? David simply invited her to our vestibule; it’s not a big deal...” Sang-hyuk waves his hands in front of Ha-kyeon and lavender petals float one by one upon the water.

“If you don’t stop now, you’ll turn the flats into lavender field.” Ha-kyeon lets out an irritated groan, earning low chuckles from the younger deity. “Please be more considerate, what if she got lost? What if she panicked?”

“Please... I’m alright now...” She interjects, her tone gentle and careful, “... This place is so beautiful I couldn’t help but to look around, I’m sorry I made you worried.”

Sang-hyuk’s eyes glint with joy, “See? She’s safe and she’s feeling better. That’s the most important thing right?”

“Still... I wish you’ll refrain from acting so reckless in the future.” Ha-kyeon releases another sigh and takes a look at her with fond eyes. “And I must say, you look exquisite; the dress suits you better than I thought.”

“Indeed, but a bit of sparkle won’t hurt, don’t you think?” She feels a pair of hands on each side of her shoulders before she is circled around to face the deity. Small crusts of diamond emerge from his touch and seep into the silk of her clothes like little stars. Just like his peers, he looms above her and the air around him oozes natural dominance.

“And now you’re even more adorable.”

Behind him, the waterfall glistens and the glass-like stream reflects the sunlight, but he shines the brightest in her eyes. In a glance he looks fragile; pale skin almost translucent beneath the rose pink chemise and pure white pantaloons, his light brown hair falls above a pair of doe eyes and his pouty lips carry a sense of mischief and vivacity which is similar to that of a little boy.

“Oh, what’s with those eyes? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for me already?”

She immediately looks away, her cheeks share the same color as her dress.

“That’s not a proper way to introduce yourself.” Ha-kyeon chimes in whilst shaking his head, grinning from ear to ear when he takes notice of her reaction. “This is Jae-hwan; he rules over light and charm, and his medium is diamond―”

“Ah, now you mention it, I’m Sang-hyuk, the youngest guardian and you’ve met David, the peacock.” he says and sheepishly grins to the eldest deity.

“Not you too, Sang-hyuk...”

“It’s not our fault she’s so distracting...”

“You better be careful, Brother, we don’t want you to make the same mistake.” Sang-hyuk replies with mock cautiousness.

“That was unintentional!” Jae-hwan whines, his voice an octave higher. “Don’t make her misunderstand.”

Not so long after, Taek-woon comes and props himself at one of the seats at the right side of the table. A deity in luminous lavender robe also joins them. His hair has different hues of purple, auburn, and red; despite the dominance, he looks reliable. “I am Won-shik, the third youngest, if that interests you.”

“More like fourth oldest.” Sang-hyuk wittily adds as he takes a seat beside Won-shik.

“Hey, at least I’m not as old as Ha-kyeon and Taek-woon.” Won-shik playfully nudges the blue deity, his eyes lit up when she catches her trying to hold her laughter in.

“Be careful, he might start talking formally anytime soon.” Ha-kyeon’s lips curve into small smile as he adds few stalks of rose inside his flower arrangement.

“At least I don’t sulk like you.” Taek-woon says with a sharp glare, a smirk ghosts around the corner of his lips when Ha-kyeon responds with a dramatic scoff.

“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Jae-hwan says as he pulls out a chair at the head of the table for her.

“I’m sure she’s entertained, we have so many stories to tell, don’t we?” Ha-kyeon says from her left side after everyone is seated. “Which part interests you the most? Would you like to hear Jae-hwan’s? We have plenty of time before Hong-bin comes.”

“There’s nothing interesting about that.”

“Well, it’s our guest’s right to judge, isn’t it?” Sang-hyuk counters with big grin.

“We went to a ceremony held by Dragon King a year ago, and I presented a song for His Majesty. The court-ladies were overly impressed... and when I politely rejected them, they accused me of using a forbidden love potion.” Jae-hwan explains briefly, his expression is a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance. “Who would have thought they’d be so erratic when they’re supposed to only have eyes for their King...?”

“Why don’t you just admit it, you were flattered weren’t you?” Sang-hyuk quips whilst exchanging teasing glances with Won-sik.

“You know, I start to get suspicious, was it your doing?”

“Me? Why don’t you ask Ha-kyeon instead? He brought this up first and he’s the one responsible for inducing passionate love after all.”

“Excuse me? I’m in charge of dreams, not the real deed.”

“Starting without me, I see? I can practically hear everyone from the entrance.” the last deity arrives with several crystal bottles of golden liquid. His eyes immediately catch her presence; his lips stretch into a broad smile, showing a row of perfect teeth and a charming dimple on the right side of his cheek.

 “No, we’re simply reminiscing about the day when Jae-hwan finally learned that being flirty is not a good thing.” Ha-kyeon says, to which the younger deity responds with an irritated huff.

“And perhaps we will remember today as the day where Taek-woon is actually waiting for me to come before he starts eating on his own.” He takes the empty seat at the furthest left side and places the bottles down. The liquor shines among the crystal and the candles, and when the deity uncorks the first bottle, golden bubble pops amidst the air that grows thick with rich scent of honey, lavender, and vanilla.

“I was waiting for the meads, not the maker.” Taek-woon snaps his finger and what used to be empty crystal bowls are filled with thin, fragrant broth made of herb and lotus root. More dishes are served in large plates with gilded rims. There are boiled rice and grains; porridge mixed with red jujubes and ginseng root; smoked red pepper; seared watermelon and black rice; steamed vegetable rolls and tofu; and raw vegetables seasoned with sea salt.

“It’s not like you can really tolerate them.” He replies whilst pouring the wine into golden goblets.

“It smells lighter than the usual, though.” Sang-hyuk says after swallowing his food.

“I have no clue about our guest’s taste, so I pick the lightest among them.” he stands up and walks up to the lady before he places an elegant, patterned goblet on her right side. “Would you like to have a taste?”

The slim glass feels extremely fragile between her fingers and the fine liquor stirs and fizzes like fireworks. Her eyes droopy and she involuntarily breathes through her mouth when she tips the glass before her lips. It is light, just like what Sang-hyuk has said, but silkier and sweeter, as if she’s bathing in a pool of honey and milk and lavender oil. She softly moans in delight, closing her eyes for a moment.

“You’re not as timid as you may look.” Hong-bin chuckles and returns to his seat, clearly pleased with her reaction. “Although I never thought it would arouse such stimuli in human.”

“Are you alright?” Ha-kyeon lightly pats her back and hands her a glass of water with peppermint to douse the sweetness and neutralize her sense. “Well, that is Hong-bin, and like his appearance suggests, he takes care of the flowers and induces beauty... he also helps with spiritual insight,”

 “What’s the point of telling her such details, when she’ll forget everything in the end?”

“Despite his harsh remarks,” Ha-kyeon says with a long sigh, “he means no harm.”

“I completely understand.” She shakes her head, “I don’t belong here, after all.”

“Sometimes I wish Taek-woon can lend his power to Hong-bin so he can actually weigh the gravity of his words before he actually says anything.” Ha-kyeon says, displeased.

Hong-bin opens his mouth, but all focus (including his) immediately snaps when Jae-hwan uncorks the second bottle of mead and says, “It’s too fast to say something like that.”

In front of him, Taek-woon is calmly eating her dinner and his mead untouchable; Won-shik has started mumbling incoherent words, whereas Sang-hyuk, still as sober as ever, offers his goblet to Jae-hwan as an empty bottle gently rolls back and forth near his plate.

“Which part is too fast, Brother?” Sang-hyuk asks and wets his lips with his drink. “This is apple, butter, and cinnamon; how will the last one taste?”

“It’s too fast for her to say that she doesn’t belong here. It’s only been ten hours and she hasn’t seen everything yet.” Jae-hwan winks at her before he gives Hong-bin a scrutinizing look. “And you, who knows that in the end, you might be the one who refuses to let her go.”

“You guys are drunk.” Hong-bin dryly attests, his chopstick clinks against the plate when he slices through the stuffed tofu.

“The more you say so, the more it sounds like an invitation.” Sang-hyuk waves his goblet to Hong-bin’s direction, his eyes glittering with mischief and vigor.

“Are you alright?”

“Am I making you worried?” Sang-hyuk chuckles, his timbre deeper and sweeter, “I’m glad to hear that... your concern warms me more than Hong-bin’s liqueur...”

“He’s sputtering nonsense, what did you put inside your mead this time?” Taek-woon chimes in. His voice sounds airier and weaker after he emptied his first glass of wine.

“Should I say love and passion and luck?” Hong-bin laughs and twirls the third bottle between his left fingers, velvety voice full of sass and confidence.

“Aren’t you all curious about this one?” He looks around and stops at her. Hong-bin pauses, his cleft chin taut as he contemplatively purses his lips. “Should our guest try it first?”

“I thought deities aren’t supposed to lose consciousness?”

“It puts you to sleep, or if you prefer, a state of conscious dream.” Hong-bin pops the third bottle open and lustrous red smoke streams from the lid. Roses float inside tiny bubbles, which slowly melt once they hit the marble table. “In such logic, this honey wine doesn’t make you lose consciousness; it only paralyzes your mind.”

More syrupy scent fills her lungs, her head light and her eyes start to become droopy, stronger this time. On her right side, Taek-woon takes his last sip of wine; and on her left, Ha-kyeon is staring into empty air. His head lulls backward, one of his hands reaches up to his temple. Sang-hyuk keeps downing more glasses of mead as Won-shik has fallen into deep slumber. She weakly calls for Jae-hwan’s name once a hand covers her vision. The said deity’s breathing is ticklish against the shell of her ear; from his body wafts a faint smell of almond and spices.

“... Shall I show you something else instead?”

Hong-bin shakes his head and laughs, before he pours the remaining wine to the floor. The water ripples, rose-gold smokes break free inside the clear stream. “You’re being unfair, Brother...”

“I am not allowed to forget, so let me create as much memories possible with her... ones that don’t bring me sadness or despair.” Jae-hwan’s voice is clear, but distant and almost unheard. Her steps airy, as if she’s stepping upon clouds instead of stairs, and after a while, her vision returns to Jae-hwan, to his childlike smile and prominent nose. His doe eyes are radiant with warmth and affection, reflecting the Milky Way that spreads from horizon to horizon across band of constellations she’d never be able to dream of, not even in her greatest fantasies.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a good time writing about the banquet scene, what do you think?  
> And a fun fact just in case:  
> I found mead by accident when I was researching about ambrosia and it's a real stuff.  
> It's a type of wine made of fermented honey and water, and sometimes, mixed with fruits, herbs, spices, etc.  
> The types mentioned here is melomel and metheglin (with my own magical twist).


	4. Anemone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This place is a dream.  
> A fragment of a scintillating past swayed by reality.  
> This place is a fantasy.  
> A little paradise bathes in eternal light and deep calm.  
> This place is an empty space.  
> A palace where eternity pays homage to ephemeralities.

**Chapter IV | Anemone**

_Paying no heed to time, I watch you. When the white moon rises, you’re reflected on its surface_

* * *

 

Small bubbles erupt from the shallow water at the common hall, the waterfall tranquil with rows of pinkish cloud gathering at its peak, and the empty chair at the head of the table still carries a faint silver mist and a mixture of Jae-hwan’s scent and her innocence. Her pessimism and docility surprises Hong-bin more than anything, and her shyness could probably beat Taek-woon’s taciturnity. Her yearning eyes attract him like fire to moths, and when the realization dawns over him, Hong-bin can’t help but to scoff at the fact that he hasn’t had a place in them yet.

Above the hall, the cloud gently opens up and baring the dark blue sky and a lone moon to his eyes, a sign that Jae-hwan is currently channeling his power to gather the stars at the top of his tower. Thus the moon, full from the latter deity’s light, gleams brighter compared to how it’s usually seen from Taek-woon’s lair. It’s almost as if Ha-kyeon replaces the moon with one of his sacred pearls and maybe infusing it with honeysuckle to induce such lonely passion inside all of them. As Hong-bin sorts his thought out, the figure beside him stirs and rubs his eyes before he slowly turns to Hong-bin and asks, “How long did I sleep?”

“Not that long.”

“Oh, dear, let’s wake everyone up and return to our respective chambers, and―” he stops upon noticing that he is sitting between two empty chairs. He looks up to the cloudless sky and finds the moon staring back at him. “What did I miss, why did you let Jae-hwan takes her to his tower when she is supposed to be asleep right now?”

“She’s a grown up woman, at least for human age, and you can still be a doting mother for her by the time she wakes up tomorrow. Jae-hwan deserves happier memories than the ones he used to have.”

“And you deserve a chance to remember... since you’ll forget everything in the end.”

“Unlike you and Jae-hwan, the rest of us will forget.”

“Will she be alright?”

“Sang-hyuk loves her, why won’t she?”

“And do you think she loves him back?”

“Do you think she can love anyone of us? She has so many people waiting for her to return. I don’t want to be involved.”

“For now... but you might change your mind after tomorrow.”

Ha-kyeon starts waking the rest of them up with kind words and soothing voice, leaving Hong-bin and his contradiction. Hong-bin stares at the table and how the plates are slowly being emptied and the crystal dissolves into dust. He wonders about their existence, their ability, and their enigmatic guest. Does he have no choice but to be involved? They are called guardian for a reason, and they are blessed with powers for an equally noble cause. But when it comes to feelings… Why Fate grants them such entity when they have no one to share it with?

Hong-bin thinks of Ha-kyeon who takes care of everyone and balances through his philosophical wisdom, when at the same time, he constantly worries, doubts, and needs reassurance. Jae-hwan rules over light and charm, sense of pleasure and ability to keep bad memories at bay, but he has tendency to keep his sadness inside. Taek-woon balances emotion, but unsure of his own feelings. Won-shik opposes gravity and protects, but fearful and soft on the inside. Sang-hyuk casts luck, calmness, and is a passionate lover, but he doesn’t rule over love. And then there’s himself, who represents spiritual insight when he’s sharp-tongued, sassy, and far from meek. It’s ironic how they complete each other in such opposing way.

∞∞∞

“I’ve seen this kind of view in Taek-woon’s place... was it a prophecy?”

“Did you see me?” he asks and closes his eyes before he straightens his elbows and leans his body backward. She stares at him long enough to understand that he’s not teasing her, but simply asking the most basic question. Though on the contrary, he smiles and adds, “If you don’t see me, then it’s not a prophecy... because if you did, you will surely fall that instance.”

“Will you use a love potion on me?”

“You’ve become so daring, I see?”  He scoffs whilst smiling from ear to ear, and even though she modestly looks down in embarrassment, he can easily tell that she’s holding her laughter. Everything about the deity is so contagious, as if he exists solely to remind everyone that there’s always room for laughter, comedy, and entertainment. “Do you know that I love your curiosity so much?”

“Why...?”

“It will set you free. You should always remain like that... even though you’ll no longer here, even though you’ve moved on with your life, never stop asking question...”

“But curiosity also kills the cat.”

“Cats don’t ask question as much as you do.” His laughter sends bubbles to her stomach, as if flowers bloom inside her chest.

“Cats can’t talk, or can they?”

“Well, sometimes you can hear them. David for example, he can’t talk, but you followed him nonetheless, didn’t you?”

“If one of you goes to Taek-woon’s room, will you see the same thing?”

“Taek-woon’s room responds to the slightest change of feelings and amplifies his ability to sense emotion. But we don’t create as much effects like you do.” Jae-hwan points at the sky, traces an imaginary line to gather the stars to form an image, and opens his hand to reveal a white orchid made of stardust. “This can be you... the troubled one, but adaptable, strong, and cherished by many...”

“How did you do that?”

Jae-hwan cups her hand inside both of his palms. Something warm tickles her hand from the inside, and as Jae-hwan slowly unclasps his hands, light emerges and disperses into white particles.

“Anemone? Is that what you think of me?” Jae-hwan bemusedly says as the small flower floats in the air alongside the orchid.

“So this is how you all read mind? Taek-woon’s room, Hong-bin’s meads, and now starlight?”

“Why the wind flower?”

“In where I live, the red wind flower is said to grow out of blood that stained the ground.” She tries to touch the flower, but her finger passes through the light as it dissolves and spreads into smaller buds which spiral around her fingers. “The blood belongs to Adonis, a young man whom Aphrodite had fallen for. Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty and fertility, and she loved him dearly, but he died because he didn’t pay attention to her counsel.”

“She created those flowers from his blood?”

“According to myth, yes, and although beautiful, they are short-lived... and represents a sad remembrance.”

“Unlike those anemones, I remember everything forever.”

“Can’t you talk to your brothers about it?”

“No, they’re solely in my head, deep down within my consciousness.”

“But why? It sounds unfair.”

“Even the finest of a disposition has its opposite. I can erase memories or replace them, but as the exchange, all of the remaining emotions will stay within me as long as I live.” Jae-hwan gives her a scrutinizing look, his lips curl into coy smile. “You’re not answering me yet, why anemone?”

“I... um, at some point…” she stutters, her shy eyes darting back and forth between him and the floating stars in shape of anemone and orchid, “You remind me of Adonis.”

“Oh? Because he made even the most beautiful Goddess fall in love?” he tilts his head like a dove, but the playful wiggles of his eyebrows betray the innocence.

“No, I mean, you are beautiful, but I did not insinuate anything. I… I don’t know why it just popped up in my mind—” She shakes her head and flails her hands around as she thinks of the right words, almost exasperatedly, before she eventually puts her hand down whilst smiling ear to ear.

“You’re so adorable it makes me feel a bit sorry to the others because it’s only me who can remember this afterwards.”

“Will I remember this place?”

The stars start to dim before it gradually loses its light and the sky closes itself; midnight blue turns into cold white ceiling. Soft round eyes staring at her with loneliness and emotion she could never decipher. Walls around them are painted with muted purple, near them stands a large glass tube full of water with floating orchids and colorful smokes. Without the light and the vast starry field, his playfulness and mirth seems to be swallowed by the secluded tower.

“Once you returned, when you’re completely on your own, recalling about today will only bring you sadness, loneliness, and dissatisfaction. Nobody ever comes twice to _Do-won-kyung_ , and if anything, we should never expect... or we’ll be disappointed.”

“Won’t it be painful for you to bear it alone? Can’t you allow it for this once?”

“And making it hard for your future lover?” he quietly jokes, voice similar to that of a cicada, one that buzzes from the tunnel deep in the ground, calming and airy and nostalgic.

“But I feel guilty just by thinking of it.”

“This is not your fault. It’s a matter of choice and duty.”

“So my duty is to forget and carry on while yours is to remember?”

“And to keep being curious, although for now, I think you should take a good rest.”

“But―”

“Sleep. If you’re lucky you might be able to see the sunrise.”

His room darkens, the water tube has a cold silvery glow, the orchid stays still inside the glass and when she closes her eyes, his palm presses on her eyelids, scent of almond powder lingers, and Jae-hwan’s lips feel warm on her forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally squealed when I found out that Jae-hwan's birth flower is Adonis/wind flower/anemone and I thought it suits him so well; i mean, *cough*a handsome lad who made even the most beautiful goddess fell in love*cough*   
> Aaaand let's not forget the heartbreaking myth because I just love writing about melancholic situations.


	5. Allusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This place is a dream.  
> A fragment of a scintillating past swayed by reality.  
> This place is a fantasy.  
> A little paradise bathes in eternal light and deep calm.  
> This place is an empty space.  
> A palace where eternity pays homage to ephemeralities.

**Chapter V | Allusion**

_Day and night, you fill them to the brim; the sound of each breath resembles you._

* * *

   
It’s supposed to be Taek-woon’s lair, but this time it’s empty. Blue walls feel colder than before, the large stone vacant and eerie, and the moon has the color of ash. Water heaves around her ankles, her body stiffens when foreign chillness seeps into her bones as shards of ice appear on the surface, one by one. Her gasps echo throughout the vast hall and emerging icebergs. She takes another step and the waterbed splits under her feet. She plummets into the dark hole and she flails her arms and legs as she tries to break-free from the confining space.

Black paints her vision and the water muffles her lungs. Between her feet the ice shards slice through her skin and instead of blood, she’s stoned bone deep. She persists against the water, squirming and battling the eerie air, and forces her eyes open. Her lids flutter, her heart hammers against her chest like a mad horse, her body trembles with adrenaline and cold sweat as she hastily reaches out. A warm skin presses onto her palm, her fingers, and she feels a large knuckle wraps around her hand.

“Care to tell me what you dreamed of? You were so restless you made me worried.”

“Ha-kyeon?” she weakly calls and gratefully accepts when the oldest deity hands her a glass of water. “Where’s Jae-hwan?”

“Jae-hwan carried you here when you fell asleep... and though it’s a bit late of an introduction, this will be your room.”

“You prepared this for me...?” the chamber is completely different from anything she has witnessed in _Do-won-kyung_. She doesn’t have Taek-woon’s enigmatic walls, Jae-hwan’s planetarium, Sang-hyuk’s four season vestibule, nor Ha-kyeon’s little forest, but as the exchange, she has a large, four-post bed with linen veil situated on a small platform surrounded by shallow canals with rose-gold water; and rich white marble walls with gold veins and white orchid wreaths hanging from the ceiling.

“I planned to give you a tour after dinner, but nobody would have thought that the banquet would end like that. It must have been the first in the centuries.”

“How long have I been sleeping?”

“It’s almost twelve hours since he brought you back, do you want to sleep some more?”

“No... but, I’m dizzy... there are so many things going in my mind...”

“Do you still remember what happened last night?”

“Jae-hwan—he showed me flowers made of stardust, and before that, he stopped me from drinking Hong-bin’s mead before we left the hall, and...” she tightens her grasps around Ha-kyeon’s fingers. The scent of rose and honey wine still linger at the tip of her senses, stardust and white lights muddle her brain, words scatter at the tip of her tongue, as if she’s deciphering an ancient manuscript with an unknown language.  “And there’s more... there’s something else, but I can’t remember...”

“Don’t force yourself...”

“No, we were talking all night long, and he told me about himself, but I can’t figure out what it was.”

“That could be everything... I am sure you’ve explained it very clearly.”

“But why does it feel like I’m forgetting the most important thing?”

“Jae-hwan’s power involves erasing bad memories and he probably put his magic on you last night. Perhaps that’s why you’re feeling a bit lost...”

“Does it have something to do with my dream?”

Ha-kyeon shakes his head and lightly strokes her hair.

“You’re still trying to adapt... it’s only been two days, you will feel better, I promise you...” he pauses for a moment and feels her nodding weakly to his words. “Why don’t you freshen up and I’ll show you around?”

“Are we going to your hot spring?” she asks as they walk through a long marble aisle to a large gilded mirror at the end of the room. Its frame is beaded with crystals and pink pearls and she can see both of them reflected through tranquil water.

“If you walk through this mirror, it will take you wherever your heart thinks necessary... you may choose, but most of the time the mirror won’t listen unless you persist...”

“What if I want to go back to my room?”

“It depends on who you meet at the other side.”

“I can’t go back on my own?”

Ha-kyeon laughs and shakes his head. “You can always go back to your room if you think of it when you pass through any opening. It’s the same as how Sang-hyuk brought you to the common hall, or how Jae-hwan brought you to his tower.” Ha-kyeon holds her hand and steps in into the mirror behind the water veil. “You can try going on your own, but not today.”

“Do you think my heart will roam around?” she carefully follows and yelps in surprise when the water suddenly pulls her in to the other side of the room. Her legs skidded across the gilded frame and she tumbles into Ha-kyeon’s arms.

“No, but I forgot to tell you that it’s very slippery.” Ha-kyeon says amused, as he slowly loosens his embrace and peers down to take a look at her, who immediately pulls away with roseate cheeks. Inside the little forest, the sun is at its peak and colors the spring with orange mist. “I wonder in whose arms you’ll fall once you return to your world...”  


∞∞∞  


“Are you afraid?” Ha-kyeon softly asks when she stops midway and spins around to face him and the long glass stairway framed by illusive yellow and pink clouds. Ha-kyeon marvels at her silence, her contemplativeness, as she faces the open sky that surrounds them and basks in the golden ray of sun. Like a budding flower, an emerging butterfly, Ha-kyeon’s heart swells with pride and gratitude a moment before the realization of her transient existence dawns on him.

The glass stairs are cold and shining beneath her toes, thick scent of honeysuckle still feels as heady and grows stronger in every breath she takes and as if sensing Ha-kyeon’s sudden muteness, she finally says, “I’m not afraid, but I was just thinking... this place feels so lonely.”

“Is it too peaceful to your liking?”

“No, it feels so vacant... it’s so unlike anything I’ve ever read before.”

“Entertain me, what did you read?”

“Angels, winged servants, little dwarves with pointy ears, fairies, or a guardian in a form of talking animals... something like that?”

Ha-kyeon bursts out laughing. “This is why humans are so peculiar. They are right about the talking animals, though we don’t have it here, some deities do have shape-shifting ability or familiars.”

She smiles and continues to climb the stairs with Ha-kyeon trailing behind her. “What do you usually do at times like this?”

“Everyone will be in their chambers, pondering, Taek-woon sometimes go up to the surface and watch the sea, though he doesn’t do it as much as he used to. Jae-hwan loves music, and when he sings, it echoes throughout the whole palace. Hong-bin is usually busy with his garden, Won-shik is the most unpredictable so I can’t really tell you anything, and you can always find Sang-hyuk in his vestibule.”

“How about you…?”

Ha-kyeon’s eyes linger on her as his lips stretch into a grin. “It’s a secret for now.”

“Why do I feel like you have so many secrets?”

“Maybe I want you to find out on your own... or maybe it’s because I know nothing myself.”

As they climb further, she can see the muted purple wall and the elusive silhouette of rippling water and floating orchids. Warmth churns inside her chest, her abdomen tightens and she feels breathless thinking about how different it feels to actually walk to the top of the tower instead of teleporting like the day before. And when she’s about to question about things she possibly have forgotten, time suddenly stops and she finds herself coming face to face with brilliant white sky and pink clouds. The stars are floating around, and though almost unseen due to the blinding sun, they still glimmer like gold dust.

“I’m afraid now is not the right time...” Ha-kyeon apologizes once they lay eyes to Jae-hwan who sits still in the middle of the room with his hunched back facing them.

“Why...?” she absentmindedly trails, unconsciously taking further steps to Jae-hwan.

“Aren’t you very persistent today...” Jae-hwan gazes at her, his eyes soft and hazy, as if he wants to drown her deeper inside his thoughts, although he is fully aware that he can’t tell her anything even though all he ever wanted is to tell and forget.

“Are you alright?” he longingly stares as she slowly kneels before him and it warms him to know that he can still find solace in her eyes, even though he can’t live inside her mind. Resisting the urge to pull her into his arms, he weakly touches her chin and smiles, “Like my brother said, we’re at the wrong timing...”


	6. Lacuna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This place is a dream.  
> A fragment of a scintillating past swayed by reality.  
> This place is a fantasy.  
> A little paradise bathes in eternal light and deep calm.  
> This place is an empty space.  
> A palace where eternity pays homage to ephemeralities.

**Chapter VI | Lacuna**

_Paint it again, even darker, as the night spills._

* * *

 

 Ha-kyeon watches as she treads the staircase in small steps that remind him of waves upon the shoreline with lethargy similar to that of the clouds above them. The sunlight has receded, leaving a fading trail of gold along the silvery banister and casting subtle rainbow nuances on the vast sky. The clouds burst into small smokes between her toes as she walks further to the bottom of the stairs. Ha-kyeon assumes that she will react to it, perhaps taking a pause or looking down, for he knows that a smile will be too much to ask, so when she absentmindedly walks away and ignores the little things she usually so fond of, all he can do is regretting everything.

“Ha-kyeon... are we going back to my chamber?” she doubtfully wraps her fingers around the gold handle.

“If that’s what your heart says, then yes.” Ha-kyeon stares at her and gives her an encouraging smile even though the edge of his lips feel stiff and he can sense how fake his voice sounds when he forces himself to act wise and unbothered.

“You’re not coming with me?” she pulls the door open and his heart churns even more when he hears water splashing from the other side of the room. Cool breeze sends flower petals floating around her ankle. Her breath hitches, her jaw tenses for a moment, and Ha-kyeon has to press the urge to follow her into Taek-woon’s room.

“I suppose it’s better if you see him alone.” Ha-kyeon says gently. It will be a lie to say that he’s not concerned or curious with what will happen once they entered Taek-woon’s chamber together. He detests himself for being so expectant about her feelings to him. He made her heart flutter in their first meeting, but will he still be the reason why the muted walls turn into pink skies and flowers float upon the cold water?

**∞∞∞**

Lithe, long fingers gently trace the water in circular motion, the dark blue substance turns scarlet, their surroundings dim and brooding, with moonless midnight blue walls and floating red dusts in shape of fallen petals. Taek-woon sits still in the middle of the room where the majestic stone was, his robe is soaked, small ripples forming at his fingertips. “I never thought that melancholy will be this romantic. Are you pining for someone?”

Taek-woon looks around, his dark pupils are gleaming with faint shade of gold and red. Crushed petals of red anemone fly past him, and like dusts, they disappear once he tries to touch them. Her stance stiff and wary, almost as if the water freezes around her feet, drains the color away from her visage and turns her heart into a chunk of ice. Red walls crack and dissolve when their eyes meet; her fear wrenches his heart, her insecurity fills his mind, her sadness wets his eyes, and suddenly they’re confined in a large all-white room.

Beneath them, the deep blue water slowly increases, the dark surface starts spewing smaller spheres which float through the floor up to the walls. Like bubbles, they pop one by one, gently at first, but turn aggressive in the next minute. Taek-woon calmly walks up to her, his steps are still as airy and light even though the water has reached their knees.

“Please, you shouldn’t be afraid of me... nor anybody else.” He nonchalantly says, the water level significantly increases. “Don’t try to contain everything by yourself. You have to master your emotion. Take a deep breath... look at me...”

She breathes out and gasps when he takes hold of her arms and forces her to return his gaze. She avoids his eyes whilst violently shaking her head, her arms tight inside his fingers, but Taek-woon presses his palm deeper to keep her figure steady. A shadow looms over them and Taek-woon pulls her into his arms right before the large wave crashes down. She coughs and trembles, her lungs full and heavy, her chest burns as she tries to catch her breath.

“All of us will disappear if you keep being like this... look...” the deity whispers and digs his nails into the creases of her sleeves, making her understand that the rest of her body has been paralyzed, and the only thing that keep her from losing consciousness is Taek-woon’s energy.

  “Why can’t you stop it when you’re supposed to control this room?” She wipes her tears away, the pads of her fingers rough and wrinkly against her face, her skin cold as ice.

He shakes his head, sharp eyes skimming through their surroundings. The water has reached her stomach when he replies, “You need to take control of your mind... unless you really want to bring _Do-won-kyung_ down with you...”

“But how―!” Another wave comes crashing at them, this time from their left, and throws them both into the water.

“Don’t try to escape―” Taek-woon says once he manages to pull both of them back to the surface. Her face blanches and her body trembles even more. It’s a miracle she still has enough strength to stay sane even though the rest of her body has been numbed, but Taek-woon won’t go soft with her. She needs more than just a miracle, and he’ll make sure she’s going to get it by the time she regains her composure.

“I am not.” She shakes her head and presses both hands on each side of her head, her body resembles a corpse inside Taek-woon’s iron grip. “But I can’t remember anything... everything is a blur...” she stutters and breathes heavily, her eyes empty and her mind a mess.

“What about us?”

“No, I didn’t mean to ruin this place! I didn’t mean to harm anybody,”

“Of course not...” Taek-woon quietly says and inclines his face closer to her. “Remember when you first came and you turned the sky purple...?”

She stares at him with suspicious eyes before she nods and releases her breath. “You scared me at first...”

“How about now?” Taek-woon continues when he notices that the water slowly turns into violet. “Are you still afraid of me?”

“A little bit...”

“What else did you remember? How about your first meeting with Sang-hyuk?”

“I haven’t seen him in days... I made Ha-kyeon worried when I left just like that...”

The water stirs and Taek-woon quickly replies, “How about the banquet? Did you enjoy it? I drank too much I didn’t really have a good time back then....”

“Oh, Jae-hwan....” she stands there stunned, her eyes brimming with tears. “What did Jae-hwan tell me that night? What happened to him?”

“Don’t let it overwhelm you.” Taek-woon says, this time a bit harsher as he squeezes her shoulders, forcing her to stare into his deep, penetrating eyes. The water ripples against her chest, her legs have completely given up and she flinches when Taek-woon pulls her closer until he feels his body against hers. His silken robe is cold and damp, but his body radiates an odd warmth and faint scent of peppermint. “Let’s try again...”

 “Taek-woon, I can’t...  I keep remembering bad things. This morning I even had a nightmare about your chamber, and our current situation is almost the same as what I’ve dreamed of.”

“Why’d you let the negativity affect you...? You unconsciously try to run away, and that’s not how you solve the problem.”  Their surroundings turn even darker as soon as Taek-woon finishes his sentence. She has her hand against her mouth to muffle her sobs as long stream of tears wet her cheeks. The water level is steady and calm, but as Taek-woon expects for another surge of emotion, raindrops slowly fall from the dark, starless sky.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Taek-woon,” her voice hitches and comes out as silent cry, a broken chord; she wants to scream, but she doesn’t know how. “Please believe me… I don’t want to run away… and I don’t mean to cry…”

He tightens his embrace around her, one of his hands stroking her head. Her sadness and agony sends shiver throughout his body, and in such proximity, it feels like his heart is being frosted from the inside. His chamber is pouring with violet rain, above them the blue moon slowly rises and reflect its light, the water ebbs, the rain pours harder and steadier. “Even though it may not seem like it... I understand...”

Taek-woon can’t hear her thoughts, he can’t see her face, but he can feel her heartbeat, her heavy breathings, the way she hug herself and create her own shelter, protecting herself from her own fear and insecurity from Taek-woon. After a while, he snaps his finger and the red stone slowly rises from the ground as the whole chamber returns to its usual state. He gently moves his hand to support her back before he bends down and picks her legs up, slightly wincing when she gasps and clutches her hand on his chest for support..

“Is it over?” she says, her eyes are sunken and red, her voice croaky, and even though she looks extremely pale and feverish, her curiosity makes his heart flutters with hope and mirth. “How did you do it?”

 “I lied to you...”


	7. Epiphany

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This place is a dream.  
> A fragment of a scintillating past swayed by reality.  
> This place is a fantasy.  
> A little paradise bathes in eternal light and deep calm.  
> This place is an empty space.  
> A palace where eternity pays homage to ephemeralities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a hectic week, and I just recovered.  
> I hope you guys are doing fine and stay healthy.  
> Here is a slow update, but do enjoy it and gives it lots of love/comments.

**Chapter VII | Epiphany**

_You can’t escape, I close my eyes and I find you inside me._  

* * *

 

 

He should have come with her. He knew it. He should have opened the door for her and steered her away from Taek-woon. He should have forced her to rest and guide her into sweet dreams full of love and serenities. Ha-kyeon grits his teeth and harshly slams the door open, his steps quick and nimble as he climbs the glass stairs, all whilst thinking of how foolish he was for trusting her to see Taek-woon and his manipulative chamber all by herself. Under him, the evening sky appears dull and blue with thin clouds in shade of lilac, as the stars swim and dance around with the blue moon, which reminds him of his clumsiness and how he didn’t warn Taek-woon even though he knows how stubborn he can be.

Ha-kyeon quickens his pace, his jaw tight and his eyes wary when he arrives at the tower and sees Jae-hwan standing in front of the large water tank. His hair unkempt, and his clothes are disheveled, his top is slanted downward, giving Ha-kyeon a glimpse of the small tattoo at his right shoulder blade. Inside the water tank, the white orchids sway according to each tap of his finger.

 “What are you going to say now? I’ve done what you asked me…” He bitingly replies with gruff voice once Ha-kyeon calls out to him.

 “Please, that can wait.”

“I’ve erased her memory, and I’ve denied her company for today. But what good did it do her?” Jae-hwan says whilst furrowing his eyebrows.

“Nature has put its mark on your skin.”

Ha-kyeon hastily turns him around before he taps the glass and the water stirs into a mirror-like surface.

“So what? Taek-woon had it appeared on his back two hundred years ago, while you had it three years prior. His was a blue dragon and yours was a cobra.”

Jae-hwan, being even more irked than before, forcefully shrugs himself off Ha-kyeon’s grip. Ha-kyeon’s onyx eyes stare deep into Jae-hwan’s, his face whitens as his brain rewinds itself in search of the said occurence. “Why can’t I remember anything about that?”

“We got rid of it, even though you refused, because you were dying. The mark was toxic for you, both mentally and physically.”

“Why don’t you tell me anything afterwards?”

“And have you nag us about going against the law?”

“I don’t think I have the right to nag at any of you anymore.” Ha-kyeon shakes his head with a wan smile.

“Do you think spring in _Do-won-kyung_ will come faster this time? Will she be here when that time comes?”

“The mark is a sign that The Heavenly Banquet is drawing near... I’ll have to talk to Hong-bin later. We must send her back as soon as possible”

“Is there still no sign of her waking up?”

“I’m afraid so. We’re trying our best to reduce the effect of Taek-woon’s power.”

“I don’t want her to wake up with nothing to remember, at least when she’s still around.” Jae-hwan says, his statement almost sounds like a plea. "It won't hurt anyone you know, because she will forget us in the end."

“Do you know how worried I was when I woke up and found that both of you had disappeared? Hong-bin nagged me about being overly anxious, but perhaps that’s what it meant to be the young for so long. There are many ways for things to go wrong, and not only learning from that, you start to fear it, and little did you know, you try to solve things with much haste.” Ha-kyeon says dully.

“That night, she even tried to convince me that she will be fine remembering. I almost sneered at how naïve that thought sounded, but after a while, I wasn’t as lonely as I used to be and I pity myself for being so inclined to an ordinary human. The more time I spend with her, the more I feel like putting a mark on her, a proof that we existed, at some point in her life.”

“Human has a different world out there... and no matter how much they’ve intrigued and fascinated us, we have to remember that we have boundaries, and with our current privileges, we should know our limit better.”

 

Jae-hwan is silent, his fingers still tapping the glass dome as the white orchid is being shadowed by yellow and purple smokes. The moonlight seeps in and turns the deep violet into soft lavender.

“Why don’t you come and see her?” Ha-kyeon asks again, his voice devoid of hope and its usual finality.

Jae-hwan turns around and the ceilings split open, baring the deep blue sky and starlight to Ha-kyeon’s eyes. “Not now. I’ll think of something, and in the meantime, I think you also have many things to be discussed with Taek-woon and Hong-bin.”

“Very well then.” Ha-kyeon sighs, even more somber than before as he turns around and disappears.  
  


∞∞∞  
  


Inside her room, the orchid wreaths have been replaced by lavender and Hong-bin has poured a vial of eucalyptus oil inside the rose-gold streams around her bed. Won-shik places a small golden vase of burnt cedar wood and amethyst smudged with burning sage at the end of her bed to neutralize her energy and ward off nightmares. Sang-hyuk, looking dismayed and worried, sits beside her bed with her hand wrapped around his.

“Jae-hwan couldn’t come.” Ha-kyeon says from the other side of the room whilst pouring honeysuckle extract and small pearl into the streams. “Is she alright?”

“Cold.” Hong-bin dryly attests. “I was surprised she hadn’t turned into crystal when she returned from Taek-woon’s chamber.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“Please,” Ha-kyeon says, his soft voice carries a sense of dominance as he looks back and forth between Hong-bin and Taek-woon. “We need to talk.”

The three of them leave her room through the mirror and arrive at Hong-bin’s greenhouse. Even though it’s supposed to be night, the lush garden bathes in glorious morning light. Blooming flowers surrounded by butterflies and bees resembling a chasing game between admirers and the player. Apple blossoms and trim shrubs form an intricate weaving across the ceilings. Trees are rich with fruits and lines of glass bottle adorn the large shelf at one corner, some are filled with basic mixture of honey and flower.

“Why didn’t you tell me they’ve bloomed?” Ha-kyeon says once they arrive in front of a large peach tree with glistening leafs in enigmatic shade of silver and green. Between them, flowers begin to flourish and ooze an odd scent of caramel and honeydew.

Hong-bin tilts his head and gives a light tug to one of his sleeves. “They weren’t there when I went to her room. I assume Jae-hwan got the mark this time?”

“How long does it take for the peach to ripen?”

“Twelve days from now.”

“It means thirty-six days in human world. She’s been here for almost three days. We mustn’t waste our time.”

“And how are we going to do that if you’re being so irresolute?” Taek-woon says as he takes a seat near the fountain. Brief, realistic, and sharp, even though Hong-bin throws him a skeptical glance and Ha-kyeon becomes even more upset than he already is.

“Irresolute? Then how about you who were so insistent and stubborn?”

“She’s not as fragile as you think. She passed out because she was in the water for too long, not because she lost faith in herself.”

“We understand your purpose, but you overdone it, and thanks to you, she might become more traumatized than she already is.”

Hong-bin takes a turn to the nearest flower shrub and swiftly picks a batch of fresh butterfly pea and takes out a small mortar from the shelf. The sound of crushing petals and spices create a friction in the misty air.

“That’s nonsense. She’s not as submissive as you think. She didn’t even trust me enough to completely let go of her inhibition.”

“Then why hasn’t she woken up?” he briefly glances at Taek-woon from under his lashes, his hands never stop moving as he dilute the paste with water and adding herbs, all whilst pounding the fragrant mixture.

“I preserve her energy using my power, but I miscalculated when I created the illusion against her.” Taek-woon dips his finger inside the fountain, turning it into gleaming violet. “That’s where I messed up.”

“Guilt aside, how long will it take for her to wake up?” Hong-bin sounds sarcastic, but both elders are too keen to miss the anxiousness in his hostile way of speaking.

Their eyes reflecting each other’s blanched face, and little by little, the inconspicuous doubts finally manifest in the long silence, a click of tongue, and an exasperated sigh. Ha-kyeon presses a finger to his temple, a deep crease forming between his prominent brows.

“We got carried away too often.”

“Let’s wait till dawn breaks, my power should have lost its effect by that time.” The water deity’s voice mingles with the sound of silver spoon digging into a large, glistening chunk of honeycomb. The air smells sickeningly sweet and the sound of the fountain makes Ha-kyeon becomes more aware at how dry his throat feels.

“Very well then. Let’s wait until Jae-hwan comes as well, he must have think of something as we talk.” Ha-kyeon intercepts, “Now is not the time to act recklessly.”

“What if the only solution is to reset her memory back to yesterday?”

Ha-kyeon and Hong-bin’s heads snap to Taek-woon’s direction, and the latter tries his best not to let his own uncertainty shows when Hong-bin scoffs and sneers at his crazy remark, or in how Ha-kyeon closes his eyes and clenches both of his fists together. Taek-woon can taste their remorse and disbelief without having to hear a reply.

“What if nothing works and she’s not waking up after sunrise?” The sound of bottle being corked resonates behind his voice, Hong-bin's piercing gaze penetrates deep into Taek-woon’s eyes, leaving no room for lies nor secrets.

“I’ll give her my life if that happens.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to share your opinion/review/question in the comment section below.


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